SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — One of the biggest questions I had coming into spring training was this: What, exactly, is the Rockies’ overall plan under general manager Jeff Bridich, who’s now entering his second season?

We’ve seen them stock the bullpen with some good relievers who will take them through the next two seasons. We’ve seen them acquire a lot of young, powerful arms that could pay dividends somewhere down the road.

But what about right here, right now? I’m on the record as saying I don’t see this team being competitive in the National League West until 2017 — at the earliest.

Monday, at the annual Cactus League media day, the subject of the Rockies’ blueprint became a major topic of discussion. I’m working on that topic for a future story, but I thought this response from Bridich was interesting.

Asked why he has not publicly stated when be believes the Rockies might actually have a window of opportunity to begin winning, Bridich replied:

“What’s the point? Why limit ourselves? So if I were to come out and say something that’s pleasing to the ear of you, or a fan here or a fan there, and I say, ‘We’re not going to win for X.’ So what? What’s the point of doing that?

It’s about people. It’s about process. And it’s about how well can we do that together. If a lot of that or most of that comes together for us this year, wonderful. Why say something where it’s got to happen X number of months and years in the future, where really a lot of good things can happen this year. I just don’t see the point.”

Here is my translation: I believe Bridich and company believe they have a much more realistic chance to win next year or the year after. However, he has a lot more faith that good things can happen in 2016 than the rest of us do.

Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said he won’t allow outside calls for change to influence his decision making.(John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Hardcore Rockies fans are getting restless, hopeful their team will make major moves this winter to spark the team out of its stupor.

That’s why there was such excitement Tuesday — both pro and con — about the Rockies reportedly expressing interest in Seattle first baseman Mark Trumbo. However, a major-league source told me that the rumors linking the Rockies to Trumbo were “overblown.”

Sure enough, on Tuesday night the Mariners traded Trumbo to the Orioles.

So what happens now?

GM Jeff Bridich told me that “some things could get done at or just after” baseball’s winter meetings that begin Monday in Nashville.

The hot speculation, of course, centers around the Rockies trading Carlos Gonzalez for pitching. Bridich, however, continues to reiterate his statement that his “eyes and ears are open to anything.”

These will be Bridich’s second winter meetings as the Rockies’ chief architect, so I asked him if he’ll approach the meetings differently than he did last winter in San Diego.

Walt Weiss might not be a self-promoter, but his two best players, Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez, will defend the work he’s done for the Rockies in 2015.

“I think Walt did a good job. I really do. You can’t blame him for the way we played,” Arenado said Sunday after the Rockies closed out their final homestand.

Colorado, at 66-90 before starting a three-game series at Arizona on Tuesday, remains in last place in the National League West. And Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said he will wait until after the season before deciding if Weiss will return for the final year of his contract.

As I wrote in my Friday Lunch Special, I think the rumors about a Troy Tulowitzki trade to the Mets are overblown. Does that mean Tulo is a Rockie for life? Of course not, but I continue to believe opposing teams want to see Tulo healthy and back on the field before they will hook up with the Rockies for a deal that would yield a worthy return for both sides.

I believe the Rockies will continue to explore signing and/or trading for a catcher. There are not very many free-agent catchers out there, but Nick Hundley is a possibility. How strong a possibility? I really don’t know.

I’ve been told that the Rockies have had conversations with a number of catchers and their agents this offseason, including Hundley. Whether that the amounts to a new catcher for the Rockies remains to be seen. It could be that the Rockies must find a trade partner for Wilin Rosario before they make a change.

Rockies first-year general manager Jeff Bridich is playing things close to the vest at his first winter meetings.(John Leyba, The Denver Post)

SAN DIEGO — While there has already been a blizzard of activity at baseball’s winter meetings, the Rockies have thus far not been part of the storm. They are talking to a lot of teams behind the scenes, but they have not yet made a public ripple, let alone a big splash.

That could change should new GM Jeff Bridich make a move to add to the starting rotation or beef up the bullpen. I still think a trade for catcher Wilin Rosario is very possible.

Look, it’s still early and sometimes dominoes have to fall before deals get done.

In the meantime, here are a few random Rockies thoughts:

* One big-league executive who knows Bridich well described the new GM this way: “Jeff’s very methodical and sticks to his plan. He’s not going to give you much (information) and he plays it close to the vest.”Read more…

Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort talks about the state of the club during a one-on-one interview with The Denver Post before the Colorado Rockies play the San Diego Padres on July 8, 2014 at Coors Field. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Need your baseball fix as the days grow colder, shorter and darker? If so, you’re in luck.

The Rockies are providing fans with an opportunity to engage with new general manager Jeff Bridich and owner Dick Monfort at 1 p.m. Friday in a “Rockies Tweet 20 Chat.” Questions also will be answered through email and Facebook.

“We are very fortunate to have an extremely bright, energetic and talented group of individuals currently within our own organization that are ready and eager to utilize their skills and experience,” owner Dick Monfort said in a statement. “I know Jeff is anxious to begin working on the goal of putting a championship team on the field that the Rockies staff, our fans and our region deserve.”

What’s up: Hurdle has always been the biggest man in the room. His physical stature, booming voice, candor and take-on-the-world demeanor make him a leader. So it’s hard to think of Hurdle as vulnerable. And it was a bit shocking to see Hurdle limping to the mound last week in Atlanta to make a pitching change. I already knew Hurdle was in pain and needed hip-replacement surgery at the end of the season, but I didn’t realize how much pain he’s been in.

Background: Hurdle, who led the Rockies to the World Series in 2007, has the Pirates in the postseason for a second consecutive season. He was named National League manager of the year in 2013 and could win it again this year, although the Nationals’ Matt Williams is probably the favorite.Read more…

It’s all speculation for now, but the word is spreading in baseball circles that Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd might consider leaving the Rockies for a front-office position with the Atlanta Braves if John Hart takes over as Braves’ full-time general manager. O’Dowd worked under Hart in Cleveland before coming to the Rockies.

Weiss, who took over as manager for the 2013 season, signed a three-year extension last October through 2016. He is not looking to leave the Rockies, sources say. But his dissatisfaction reflects the growing sense in the industry that the organization is reaching a breaking point.”

Given the Rockies woes, this is not a surprising turn of events. After all, the club is now 40-59, tied with the Rangers for the worst record in the majors, and on pace to win just 66 games. Clearly, Weiss is frustrated.

And there was a lot more to Wednesday’s radio interview on 850-AM KOA. Here is some of what Monfort had to say to Dave Logan and Susie Wargin:

His side about interaction with fans, including two controversial email exchanges revealed last week:

“Maybe there’s more than what I know, but I’ve always made a practice for a long time of answering every email that’s sent my way. If somebody calls me, if someone wants to sit down with me, I do that all the time.

“I want to be transparent. I want people to know me. I’m not a bad person. I probably have answered this year 500 emails, and there were a couple responses that, to be quite honest, I wasn’t as sensitive as I should’ve been and should have explored more than what I did. … I guess my biggest problem is I do try to be open and honest with people.

“There was one email that got a lot of talk that I said Denver doesn’t deserve a team. I truthfully don’t remember ever saying that, I don’t even recall why I would say that. But anyway, I apologized anyway, because if I said something that even insinuated that, I was wrong.”

Former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa is now in charge of baseball operations for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Dilip Vishwanat, Getty Images)

Stuck in the National League West basement with a 16-28 record and already 11 1/2 games out of first place, the Arizona Diamondbacks needed a shakeup.

They got it Saturday when they named Tony La Russa, the four-time manager of the year, as their new Chief Baseball Officer.

Rockies manager Walt Weiss said he had inkling that La Russa would get back into the daily business of baseball, he just wishes his good friend hadn’t picked the Diamondbacks.

“I can’t say I’m surprised, but I wish it wasn’t in our division with another club,” Weiss said Saturday afternoon before the Rockies hosted the Padres. “The Diamondbacks just got a heck of a lot better with him being there.

“I know Tony and how competitive he is. The toughest thing for him was not being involved on a daily bases with wins and losses on the line everyday. He’s been craving that, and it’s great to see him back in the game. The game will be better for it. But like I said, I’m not thrilled that he’s working in the NL West.”

Rockies’ owner Dick Monfort, left, answered questions for more than an hour on Twitter, regarding several topics, including his team’s chances this season. (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)

Rockies owner Dick Monfort took to Twitter on Tuesday, answering fans questions for more than an hour. He said, among other things, that the Rockies can post 90 wins if healthy, that top prospects Jonathan Gray and Eddie Butler could reach the big leagues this year and that general manager Dan O’Dowd has earned his job security. Monfort also revealed that he likes Jay-Z and Frank Sinatra. The questions and answers taken from @Rockies:

Colorado Rockies retired player Eric Young (right) Dallas Young 6-years-old and Eric Young Jr. pose for a photo after throwing out the first pitch prior to their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks last season (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

The Rockies’ coaching vacancies were filled Tuesday, featuring a blast from the past and an out-of-the-batter’s-box choice.

Eric Young Sr., who hit the first home run at Mile High Stadium, one of the most memorable in Rockies’ history, returns to the Rockies as their first base and base running coach. Blake Doyle takes over as the hitting instructor despite having no professional coaching experience.

Young has remained friends with Rockies manager Walt Weiss since the pair played together in the mid 1990s. Young worked two years as the Diamondbacks first base coach and spent last year as a pregame and postgame TV analyst for the Astros. He made the all-star team in 1996 for the Rockies, stealing 53 bases. He swiped 465 bases in his 15-year big league career.

A year after luring manager Walt Weiss away from Regis High School, the Rockies are considering an out-of-the-batter’s-box hire for the hitting instructor’s job. Former minor league infielder Blake Doyle has emerged as a strong candidate for the position after interviewing with the Rockies, according to multiple sources close to the situation.

Colorado manager Walt Weiss. (Karl Gehring, Denver Post file)

Doyle, 59, played nine years in the minor leagues as an infielder from 1972 to 1980, finishing with Triple-A Indianapolis. He joined brothers Denny and Brian, former big leaguers, to start Doyle Baseball in 1978, a Florida-based baseball school that runs development camps and helps stage showcase events for amateur players. Doyle Baseball lists 42 big league alums, including free agent Raul Ibanez and former Rockies Jeff Baker and Charles Johnson.

Doyle is known as a strong communicator and has served as a guest motivational speaker. Weiss has known Doyle for years, attending their events, most recently with his son Brody, a shortstop at Cal-Santa Barbara.

In this April 21, 2011, file photo, Major League Baseball Players Union head Michael Weiner speaks at a news conference in New York. (Frank Franklin II, Associated Press file)

I only talked with Michael Weiner on a handful of occasions. I left feeling smarter, always happy I took the time. Weiner had this impact on a lot of people, whether they were close friends, colleagues, players or adversaries.

He made the complex sound simple without a trace of arrogance. He never spoke down to you. He made you feel important, whether you were a sports writer or a first-year player on a 40-man roster. He made you feel comfortable, almost always dressed in polo shirts, jeans and Chuck Taylor low tops. He never made it personal, a difficult skill when his job was to keep labor peace and interpret legal documents as the players union boss.

With his wife Diane and three daughters by his side, Weiner passed away Thursday night after a 15-month battle with brain cancer. He was 51.

Colorado Rockies retired player Eric Young (right) Dallas Young 6-years-old and Eric Young Jr. pose for a photo after throwing out the first pitch prior to their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks last season (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

The Rockies are moving closer to filling their two coaching vacancies with Eric Young Sr. emerging as as a strong candidate for the first base job, according to a source close to the situation.

Colorado is also leaning toward hiring an outside candidate for the hitting instructor position, left open when Dante Bichette resigned after one season to spend more time with his family. Young is the most accomplished base stealer in Rockies’ history, swiping 180 bags in five seasons from 1993-1997. He stole 53 in 1996, making the National League all-star team. Young has experience coaching at the big league level, working two seasons as the Diamondbacks first base coach from 2010-12 and serving as a roving instructor for the Astros.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.